As well as directing the film and co-writing the script, Braff will star as Aidan Bloom, a struggling actor who reluctantly agrees to home-school his father’s two young sons. “The result,” Braff teases, “is some funny chaos, until Aidan decides to scrap the traditional academic curriculum and come up with his own.”

Patinkin – best known for playing Saul Berenson in Homeland – will appear as Aidan’s father. Braff used his Twitter account to announce the casting, posting the photo that appears at the top of this article alongside the following message: “One of my favourite actors of all time joins the cast of Wish I Was Here: Mandy Patinkin will play my father.”

Braff will begin shooting Wish I Was Here in LA this summer (2013). It’s the former Scrubs star’s first film as director since 2004’s Garden State, a quirky comedy co-starring Natalie Portman that has now become a cult favourite. The film’s soundtrack, which featured songs by Coldplay, The Shins and Nick Drake, all hand-picked by Braff, went on to win a Grammy.